They Shoot Mules, Don't They?

Two Malaysians accused of acting as couriers trying to smuggle narcotics into Indonesia now face the very real possibility of death before a firing squad. Boo Guan Teik (46) and Chang Cheng Weng (39), who were apprehended by Custom's officials at Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport with 2 kilograms of sabu-sabu (methamphetamine), have been formally charged by prosecutors with multiple drug crimes that carry a possible penalty of life in prison or death.

The two men who hail from Penang were arrested on January 20th after arriving on a flight from Hong Kong. Further investigation by officials revealed each man had one kilogram of narcotics taped to his torso.

Lawyers representing the two men insist the drugs did not belong to their clients who were "only" working as "mules" or couriers for a drug lord based in Hong Kong who had paid them each US$1,000 to deliver the drugs to a contact in Bali.

The attorney for the men told Beritabali.com that it would be fundamentally unfair to punish his clients with death when they were acting only in the capacity of couriers.